Paper stock density regulator



prril 2, 31929., F, B* WELLS Q'Q@ PAPER STOCK DENSITY REGULATOR Filedsept. 22. 1926 Patented Apr. 2, i929.,

, unirse stirare raranfr orme,

EREi) B. WELLS, or RITTMAN, OHIO, AssIGNor/To THE OHIO BOXBOARD COMPANY,

/ or CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OE omo.

rArER sTocx DENSITY REGULATOR. f

Application 'led September 22, 1926. Serial No. 137,117.

Tn the manufacture of'paper, and particularly in the manufacture ofboxboard and similar paper-boards, the thickness and quality of Sameisdependent upon the density of the paper stock or pulp. This densityvaries relatively to the percentage of water present in the stock, and,obviously, in order to produce an even homogeneous web of paper orpaper-board the density of the stock, and' hence the percentage of Watertherein,

4 must be maintained substantially constant throughout any given run ofthe paper making machine or mill.

Papermakers, and others skilled in the paper-making art, are conversantwith the difficulties incident to controlling the density of the paperstock, occasioned by methods now v commonly used for regulating theamount of Water combined With the stock in the various stages of itstreatment.

The object of this invention is t`o provide a method of and apparatusfor regulating the density of the paper stock by automatically addingthereto Water in sufficient quantities to produce a stock of suchdensity as Will form a web having a predetermined thickness and otherdesired characteristics.

VThis addition of Water to the stock takes place after the stock hasbeen treated by the Jordan engines and before it is introduced into thestud chests, and, therefore, inasmuch as it is pumped direct from thestuii' chests to .l thepaper making machine, the proper density ofthestock to produce a paper or board having the desired predeterminedcharacteristics of Weight and quality is assured.-

The invention consists in a method of regulatin the density of Vpaperstock, which consists 1n adding to the fully treated or vsorked stock,Water in quantities determined and controlled by the density of thestock itself; and in apparatus -for carrying out this method whichconsists, broadly in a vessel interposed in the course of`travel of thepaper stock from the stock-working machinery to the paer-making machine,means being lprovided or feeding water to said vessel and thus to thepaper stock, said means being operable in response to the relativedensity Vof the stock for controlling the feed.V of water to saidvessel, as T will ly claim.

)In the accom an A the invention, t e gure is a sectiom elevaproceed nowto explain and finalg drawing illustrating tion of the apparatus of myinvention, showmg a preferred location thereof relatively to other partsof the paper-making machinery.

vThe method of my invention consists inf feeding to the paper stock,after. it has been fully Worked, Awater in quantities automaticallregulated by the density of the stock* itse f, and a` preferredembodiment of the apparatus for carrying out this method consists 1n avessel 1, preferably in the form of a tank, open at its upper end,provided with a riser 2 having an adjustable extension sleeve or tube 3Which may vbe raised or lowered for a purpose hereinafter appearing, theriser and tube forming a compartment Within the vessel. s

The vessel 1 is connected through the riser 2 and tube 3 by means of aconduit 4 with a Jordan engine 5, whereby the riser 2 and-tube 3 'arefed and' kept illedwith fully worked paper stock. The stock as itoveriiows at the top of the tube 3 drops to the bottom of vessel 1 fromwhich it is conducted by means of a pipe 6 to the stuff chests (notshown) from which latter it is pumped, inthe usual manner, to thepaper-making machine.

A pipe 7 extendinginto the vessel 1 leads to a suitablesupply of Water,and is provided With a valve 8 for cntrolling the flow of watertherethrough to the vessel 1. This valve 8 'has its stem 9 connected bymeans of a pivoted lever 10 with a rod 11 vertically slidable 5the pointof opening ofvalve 8 under the influence of the float as iniiuenced bythe density of the stock.

A. further adjustment of the ioat ma be obtained by means of theconnection o the rod 11 with the lever 10, this connection comprising anadjustable collar 15 carrying trunnion pins 16- which engage slots 17 inthe free end 18 of the lever 10.'

In working'the paper stock in the Jordan engine, the freeness orslowness of the stock depends vupon the length of time allowed for theJordan engine to Work or cut it. Thus, if the stock is passed rapidlythrough the Jordan engine, a free or longstock,

such as is used to form a heavy sheet is pro-.

the Jordan engine, a slower or shorter stock, such as is used in forminga lighter sheet, is produced. lft is for the purpose of regulating thisaction of the Jordan engine upon the stock that the adjustable'sleeve isprovided, it being evident that the higher the sleeve is set, the longerwill the stock be retained in the Jordan engine and the shorter vorslower will be the stock when it leaves same.

When the sleeve is adjusted, the float may be appropriately adjustedalso, by means of rod 11 and adjustable collar 15, so that the float maybear a relatively normal buoyant relation to the surface of the columnof stock inthe riser@ and tube 3.

'llhe operation of the apparatus is as follows The thickness.' andquality 'of the paper to be produced are determined, and the tube orsleeve 3, .collar 15 and'weight 14 are Aadjusted to such positions thata paper stock of the freeness or"slowness and density required toproduce the paper havinor the characteristics determined will not liftthe float 13 and hence will not open the valve 8. Obviously, with thissetting, if the stock coming from the Jordan engine and rising in tube 3shouldbecome of adensitygreater than that desired, the float will bebuoyed up by .the column of stock and will 'open' the valve 8sufficiently `-to feedwater through pipe 7 in just the amount and atjust therate necessary to thin the stock to the required density. L

0f course, care must be taken 1n operating the beaters not yto let thestock become too thin, for the reason that the device of the inventionfunctions only when the stock is of too great density and requires theaddition of water to thin it to the desired density.

The eect of the float 13 upon the valve 8 may be varied either byvarying the height of the column of stock by adjustment of sleeve 3, byvarying the settingof the collar 15 on rod 11,` or .by varying theposition of thelweight 14 on lever 10; or by any or all of these means,whereby the times and extent of opening and closing of valve 8 andconsequently ofthe volume and duration of water supply to the stock maybe varied to suit the conditions requisite to the production pf paperhaving the characteristics desired.

- Various changes are contemplated as within the spirit of the inventionand the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is I 1-. Apparatus for regulating the characteristics ofpaper stock, including a stock-work- -i ing engine, a vessel connectedwith said engine and provided with a compartment into which the stock isfed from said engine, means for varying the height of said compartmentto vary the effective action of the engine upon the stock, and means forfeeding water to the stock in response to its density, including a lwater supply provided with a valve, a float buoyed by the stock in saidcompartment, and connections between said `float and valve.

2. A paratus for regulating the characteristics of paper stock,including a stock-working engine, a vessel connectedwith said engine andprovided with a riserinto which etl the stock is fed from said engine, atube carried bysaid lriser-and vertically adjustable relatively to saidengine to vary the eective action of the engineupon the stock, and meansfor feeding Water to the stock in response to its density, including awater supply provided with a valve, a float buoyed by the' stock in saidriser and tube, andconnections between said float and valve. v

V 3. Apparatus for regulating the characteristics of paper stock,including a stock-working engine, ,a vessel lconnected with said engineand provided with a riser into which the stock is fed from said engine,a tube carried by said riser and vertically adjustable,

lln testimony whereof l have hereunto jset my hand this 21st 1926.

- FRED B. WELLS.

day of September A. D. j

